Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong century. Does anyone else remember PBS's Frontier House? The series documented the experiences of three (modern) families who agreed to move to the Montana Territory for six months, and to live as the 1880s frontier settlers did. I was completely hooked after just one episode. Despite all the hardships, that kind of life holds a strangely powerful appeal to me.

Lately, especially, I've been pining for a simpler life. Not necessarily an easier life (pretty sure I would miss electricity and indoor plumbing), but a simpler one.

Here's the thing: fate has been testing my family's limits over the last year. One of our daughters is going through something, and although I am not ready to share the details here, suffice to say that it has been hard. There are countless joys in being a parent, true. But those joys don't always outshine the extraordinary heartbreak, frustration, and feelings of helplessness that sometimes mar our otherwise "normal" life.

The other morning, my husband held my hand as we walked through the park, taking in a rare quiet moment after a particularly difficult night. We looked at one another, overwhelmed. "I'm not very good at this," I said to him, fighting back tears. He squeezed my hand and sighed. "You're not supposed to be good at this. No one is."

And that's okay. We are being confronted with challenges we could never have imagined, and for which - try as we might - we are simply not prepared. So we are learning. Each day, we do our very best to be good parents and to give our children what they need. Most importantly, we give them love. I may not always be very good at handling life's twists and turns, but loving my kids? No one could do that better.

We've noticed that our daughter does not tolerate most sugars well. My mother-in-law (a nurse) suggested that my girl might also be sensitive to gluten, so I have been experimenting with a huge variety of flours, including buckwheat. I like to imagine that had we been settlers in the Wild West of the 1880s, we would have eaten these pancakes for breakfast while sitting around a rough-hewn table, in our hand-built cabin on some remote plot of land. (After gathering eggs from our chickens and milk from our cow, of course.) Doubtful that we would have had oranges, but plain old butter with honey or maple syrup makes a delicious topping, as well.

1. Sift the dry ingredients into a medium bowl; whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk and egg yolk. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly to combine. Continue to whisk the mixture as you drizzle in the melted butter, until incorporated. If the batter seems too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time until the mixture flows slowly but easily from a spoon.

2. Whip the egg white to soft peaks. Gently fold into the buckwheat mixture, until just combined. Do not over-mix.

3. Heat a non-stick or well-seasoned frying pan over a medium to medium-high flame. Brush melted butter to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. When the pan is hot, pour the batter, a scant 1/4 cup at a time (a large scoop works well for this). Do not crowd the pan. Cook pancakes until holes begin to form in the top and the edges look set. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 30-45 seconds. Remove to a warm plate and keep warm until ready to serve. Repeat with remaining batter.

Make the Apples:Core apples and cut into roughly 1/2 inch cubes. Heat a saute pan over medium flame; add butter. When butter is hot, stir in apples to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples just begin to soften (a few minutes). Add maple syrup to the pan and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until apples are soft and syrup has thickened. If the syrup thickens too quickly, add water a teaspoon at a time to thin. Stir in salt and cinnamon. Remove from heat and keep warm in a small bowl until service.

Make the Syrup:In the same pan, add the orange juice and maple syrup or honey in a ratio of 1:2. Stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is hot and syrup has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof pitcher.

* May substitute ghee or vegan buttery spread. I would not recommend most margarines, as they contain a lot of water and don't work quite as well in this recipe.

Hi Sarabell - great! I hope you like them as much as we did. Since writing this post, I've noticed different brands of buckwheat flour vary in taste... some are more bitter than others. So try a couple and find the one you like best. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy! xo

I bookmarked your post and picked up buckwheat flour so I can make these this week! We are gluten free and I am mostly grain-free so buckwheat is a great flour for us that I've somehow never tried before! I can't wait to taste these for myself!

I find myself yearning for a simpler life at the end of every year. I keep thinking it won't happen until retirement, but maybe I'll figure out a way to accomplish it sooner than that. These pictures are stunning, and I'm bookmarking this recipe for the next time I'm in the mood for a fancy breakfast! Wishing you and your family all the best in 2013.

Hi Dawn! Oh the joys of allergies. Both mine are allergic to nuts, soy, milk etc. goes on. So I am always looking for ways to make new things. I am also going to put them on a clean diet in May when back from states to get rid of his eczema....Hope you are well!!!